The words “It’s not personal, it’s just business” are all too common. I’ve had them used to me, my staff and friends. And I’ve often read them in the media. The reality is, of course, that all business is personal. Every interaction we have with another human being is personal, founded on human to human … More “It’s not personal, it’s just business” is BS.
Anyone who has ridden the London Tubes will be all familiar with this phrase ,”Please mind the gap between the train and the platform.” The announcement is a constant reminder to beware of gaps, so that you don’t get tripped up or worse. Gaps can be dangerous! And it’s a pretty safe bet that one … More Four Gaps to Avoid to Increase Trust
“Do you trust me?” I was asked with absolute sincerity. It’s a huge question because trust binds all relationships together. “Do you trust me?” is not a simple question, and in the years since I’ve come to realise that trust is made up of three things: Trust what I say Trust what I do Trust … More Do you trust me?
Disappointed? Yes. Appalled? Often. Outright angry? Sadly. This describes some of my emotions as I’ve read various opinions in the weeks following the Christchurch mosque shootings. Christians up in arms about the call to prayer; a Hamilton City Councillor suggesting we “move on”; criticism of wearing the hijab; Katie Hopkins ranting from the … More Compassion is the only acceptable response
Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but we are already one month into 2019. So how are those goals, ambitions, dreams and resolutions going? If you are struggling, maybe it’s because you aren’t using hindsight well. Hindsight offers 20:20 vision It is fair to say that last year did not all go … More Hindsight gifts insights, that improves foresight.
“Cask wine still exists!” I was surprised to say the least. I had been eating lunch with friends and they politely informed me that cask wine was still a thing. Not convinced, because I’ve never seen it at the supermarket, I decided to check it out the next time I went shopping and I was … More Our attention defines our beliefs
Waiting for somebody to change can be frustrating. As a leader, friend or parent, you’ve probably shared greats ideas. Encouraged them. Coached. Yet they’re still not changing, or if they are it’s far too slowly. In our mind we wonder ‘why can’t they just do it!’ When it comes to seeing change in others, we … More Waiting for change
It was only in the 1900’s that it became possible to use the word ‘priorities’. For the preceding 500 years it was simply ‘priority’. It was singular. It meant the very first thing. Something that must happen immediately prior. ∴ Do you ever have those days where you have so much to do, and you … More It’s not a priority if there are more than ONE
I learnt recently that WD-40 stands for “Water Displacement 40”. The 40 means it was his 40th attempt at developing the product. The inventor Norm Larsen had tried 39 times to find a way to displace water to stop rusting in the aerospace industry. When he finally succeeded on his 40th attempt he created a … More Could you fail 39 times?
You’ve heard the saying “Leaders are readers.” I no longer believe that is true! That’s because just reading for reading’s sake is not a healthy leadership trait. Great leaders are educators. Meaning, they are always learning. And always teaching. They do this by reading, for certain! They are also podcast listeners; video watchers; conference attenders … More Leaders are NOT readers
We no longer live in a world where everyone feels the need to always strive for perfection. As a leader and self-diagnosed perfectionist this poses some big challenges. There are no perfect decisions; more time, does not equal more right. In fact, the sooner you decide, the sooner you move forward and learn. There is … More Living with slightly embarrassing
“What did you do to get promoted?” she asked, hoping for a leadership gem. “I got lucky” I said, knowing it wasn’t the whole answer. I had just been sharing about the period of my life where I went from being a courier to a senior manager in New Zealand’s largest courier company over a … More How to get promoted!
“I hate the word failure and wish it never existed,” I stated as strongly as I could as we reflected on some past experiences. I shared that the problem with failure is its opposite seems to be pass. The problem with pass is it has a strong mental connection to school or uni, where you … More Re-framing Failure
It’s election year. This means you will hear two phrases in the media over the next 6 months. They are the terms “flip-flop” and “U-turn”. The media is exceptionally good at spotting a flip flop or U-turn in the opinion of a candidate. While keeping the politicians ‘honest’ is important, I get concerned when the … More Great Leaders Flip-Flop!
“You don’t understand,” I said partly in jest, “It has nothing to do with their fear of change. It’s ALL my own insecurities.” As soon as I heard the words leave my mouth, even though I was meaning them to bring humour, I knew they were true. I was trying to work out what my … More Letting Go
People Matter ∴ Do Good 